Setting Up Your Planner for 2023 – Hobonichi Cousin
It is time for a new planner. Are you not excited? I am. I love starting a new year by planning. It is like a fresh start.
I get to look at the past year and see all of the successes and failures. I get to set goals for the year ahead and ensure I am ready to crush them. It is also the perfect time to organize your current planner and prepare it for the new year ahead!
Whatever your reasons may be for using a planner, whether it be work, personal, travel, or study, I recommend you check out Hobonichi journals.
Summary
Why Hobonichi Cousin?
Actually, I use TWO journals from Hobonichi, one is the Hobonichi Cousin that you are reading about, and the other is my Hobonichi Weeks.
I wrote two other articles about the Hobonichi Weeks in the past, so check it out:
- Hobonichi Weeks Set-up 2019
- Hobonichi Weeks Set-up 2020 (my current set-up)
Back to the Hobonichi Cousin. In the past, it was my sole journal for everything, school, and life. But due to its weight, the journal did not make it easy to carry around.
Right now, I am using this journal as a personal journal and a way to see my upcoming week’s preview. The pages are filled with stickers and the moods I have experienced throughout the years.
Without further ado, let us jump into the main part of this blog, how I set up my Hobonichi Cousin journal for 2023.
Hobonichi Cousin: Monthly Layout
→ An overview of special days
It is very useful to have special days noted in my monthly spread in the Hobonichi Cousin.
These are days that contain special events that I need to pay more attention to than usual.
For the month of November 2022, you can see that I am volunteering for a Voter’s Protection Hotline, Thanksgiving Day, and more.
It might not be a fancy setup, but this page is utilitarian and works the way it is intended.
Hobonichi Cousin: Weekly Spread
→ Weekly time slot overview
The spread you see here is the biggest reason why I choose to use the Hobonichi Cousin for the past five years.
You read it right. It is 5 years of commitment to this journal. That speaks to the value I see from this spread.
As you can see, the weekly spread has all 7 days drawn out. The days start at 5 AM and end at 4 AM the next day.
It is very useful to have such wide time slots. If I need to be somewhere early, such as going to the airport, I can easily add it to my weekly spreads without making a mess.
The spread is for weekly appointments, from classes to work time. Anything that requires me to set aside time to dedicate, I put it here.
The overall goal is to have a birds-eye view of the week, so I can mentally prepare.
Hobonichi Cousin: Daily Journal
→ Reflect on how the day goes
No journal is complete without having the days set aside for journaling and reflection. This journal is how I have been practicing journaling so easily.
There are 365 days plus one month from the previous year for this journal. I can use it to note down anything that went on throughout the day.
It has been particularly helpful since I started the business. Keeping tabs on everything that happened is no longer a problem.
Life is not always pink, but it is very moving to be able to look back and see my and the business’ growth over time.
So yeah, here is how I use the Hobonichi Cousin for (mostly) personal bookkeeping. I use both the Cousin and Weeks.
If you are interested, you can get both planners on their Hobonichi official website. Make use of the weak yen for your best deal if you are an American!
Here is the website: https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/lineup/.
Do you plan on getting a journal this year? Let me know what you think and what you plan to do.
If you need help with fitness and anything in between, feel free to contact me for a Tailor Fit session.
We can chat and plan out how your month should go and how you can find a new exercise routine and stick to it. ( •̀ ω •́ )✧
If the Hobonichi Cousin is too big of a planner for you, check out the Hobonichi Weeks. It is a pocket-sized planner that you can carry out anywhere.
- Hobonichi Weeks Set-up 2019
- Hobonichi Weeks Set-up 2020 (my current set-up)
The 2 blog articles above show how I use mine. Read them to learn more about your options.
